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Loro Piana Record Bale Suit

In May, Italian clothing and fabric maker, Loro Piana held it's 15th annual Record Bale Award at the Metropolitan Club in New York City. As purveyor of some of the finest wools and cashmeres in the world, each year the luxury brand hosts a competition for Australia- and New Zealand-based sheep breeders to compete for the prize of producing the world’s finest bale of wool. Measureing 11.1 microns, this year's prize-winning bale was awarded to Australian breeder, Susanne Triplett of the Highlander of Tumbarumba farm in North South Wales for 11.1 microns with New Zealand's Yvonne and Barrie Payne of Visuela farm coming in at a close second with 11.3 microns. However, the competition has been known to yield a bale as fine as 10.9 microns.

The award-winning wool is then used to create 40 tailored suits, which sport a special label that documents the year of shearing, its provenance and the micron of the wool. The cost for owning one of the world's finest and most exclusive suits? A mere $35,000 and you'll have to get in line. Previous clients are given the first right of refusal, and they aren’t blinking an eye at the price tag.